Of ThunderPaths, Catmint, and Persistent Loners
by GreatGoldDragon
Summary: :One-shot: It's Leaf-bare. Catmint is an important herb to have in case greencough is caught at camp. Pigeonpaw, the apprentice medicine cat of ThunderClan, has spotted said plant on the other side of the Thunderpath. When he crosses over, he gets a little more than he bargained for when he meets a loner who just loves to tease and talk. -Set in the Forest, before Firestar's time.-


**The Thunderpath suddenly started to rumble as a monster approached.**

Pigeonpaw pulled back from the black stone, eyes wide as the shiny red creature roared past, round paws traveling too fast to even see clearly. The cold air whipped up from its passing and he fluffed up his fur, unsheathing and sheathing his claws as he looked around the dull forest boundary.

** A large clump of catmint rested just across the black rock. One of the biggest clumps anyone has seen that's survived the early frost.**

The swampy scent of ShadowClan almost broke through the stink of the monster and, for a moment, he hesitated. ShadowClan was touchy about their borders and, if ThunderClan scent was found on their side, then there might be a war.

The grey brown tom rolled his eyes. His leader, Shortstar, would jump on the chance to get another Clan riled up.

**He couldn't smell any fresh ShadowClan scent across the border, but it would be hard to smell anything if a cat approached.**

Deciding to take the chance, he raced over the border, a lull in monsters allowing him past. Pigeonpaw ducted his head down to check the catmint for any diseases or out of the ordinary scents.

** They smelled find, a normal mint smell. As Pigeonpaw grabbed pawfulls of the plant, a slight rustle in the bushes caught his attention. A monster raced pass.**

The rustle and monster combined made him jump, his heart rate picking up in pace. Pigeonpaw jerked his head around, ears twitching to find any more pointers and mouth open to catch a foreign scent.

** It wasn't ShadowClan, but a loner. The Clans haven't seen a stranger in about 3 or 4 moons. His scent didn't seem too dangerous.**

Pigeonpaw pulled back, back paws hitting the edge of the black earth, catmint all but forgotten. Ears laid back on his head, the tome hissed,

"Who are you?! What do you want?!"

** "Does it really matter? I am just passing through." The yellow eyed tom said calmly. He sat down, tucking his tail around him. His ears were perked in curiosity.**

The younger cat met the others with his own yellow eyes. Before he could growl anything, a screaming monster roared past, causing Pigeonpaw to leap forward and almost barrel into the other feline.

** He lurched backwards, hissing.**

** "Are you crazy?"**

** He sat back down and cleaned some ruffled fur on his back.**

** "Do you get scared easily?"**

Pigeonpaw hmphed, fur still fluffed up and tail lashing slightly. He tried to act normal by laying his fur flat on his back.

"It's none of your business." He muttered through his fur, casting a yellow glare at the loner.

** "Are you a kit then? Or have a kit's fear?" He asked and cocked his head. "Do you want me to lead you back to your Clan?" he asked, teasing him.**

The younger tom stopped mid cleaning and glared at the other feline.

"I don't need your help." He hissed, turning towards the forgotten catmint. "All I needed," he spat, tearing bits of the plant apart, "was this stupid catmint."

As he grabbed the stalks and leaves that he had broken off, he gave another glare to the loner and growled through the plant,

"This is ShadowClan territory, so I can't tell you to go away." Pigeonpaw turned back to the Thunderpath, tail flicking. "Just don't go over to my Clans side, or I'll tell the others to go after you or something."

** "Aw, but I want to stay with you." He teased and padded past Pigeonpaw. He crossed without any trouble.**

The younger feline growled, but bounded over the Thunderpath, glaring daggers at the intruder.

"Just leave, alright?!" Pigeonpaw hissed through the catmint. "Loners aren't treated nice here, if your intent is to be allowed in the Clan."

The younger cat padded in a new direction away from camp and towards the Twoleg place.

"Now, if you excuse me, I have to get this back to camp. I have someone waiting for me."

** He followed. "So…What are you going to do with those…plants?" He asked and sniffed the others jaw, smelling the plants.**

The younger cat pulled back, glaring at the loner.

"It's catmint." He hissed, putting some space in between him and the other cat. "It helps with white and greencough."

The taste of the plant was starting to tempt him. He had to get this loner off of his tail before he devoured the plant. Crossing ShadowClans border was risky and he didn't want everything to be for nothing.

Until the other feline went away, Pigeonpaw would have to continue to go in random directions.

** He yawned and nipped the others tail.**

** "Are you mad with me following you?" He asked.**

The apprentice flicked his tail away agitatedly.

"Just go away." He hissed, "I need to concentrate on other things and you're distracting me. Please just go away."

He would have said more, but the catmint was getting too much and he spat it out, knowing that it was now too destroyed to be of use.

** He smelled it and looked up at the other cat. "Why did you spit it out? It's still good." He ate a few pieces to prove a point.**

Pigeonpaw stuck out his tongue and shook his head.

"It wouldn't have been good for storing."

He turned around, this time towards camp. If the loner was going to follow him, so be it.

"This whole trip has now been for nothing. Now go away."

** He laughed. "Why? You're such fun." He said and walked side by side to Pigeonpaw. "Besides, there are bad cats in these woods."**

"Pssh." Pigeonpaw shook his head. "The only things dangerous around here are claw-happy warriors in my Clan."

The younger feline stopped and turned towards the loner.

"I'm warning you now, I'm going to camp. The instant the others catch your scent, they'll be after you."

** "I can take care of myself. Thanks for the warning though." They reached the camps thorn tunnel.**

Pigeonpaw looked up at the hedge of thorns, tail twitching.

"Alright." He cast a glance at the loner. "So, I'll go in. You follow me, and you'll get your butt kicked. Got it?"

** He smiled. "Sure, whatever you say, kit." He said rolling his eyes. If he cared, he didn't show it.**

Pigeonpaw just decided to get it over with. Taking a few breathes, he bounded through the tunnel, wondering what the Place of No Stars was he doing, leading a loner into camp.

** Clyde followed, growling softly at the thorns that got caught in his pelt.**

"Intruder!"

Pigeonpaw leaped out of the way as an orange yellow tom barreled into the loner. A brown streaked black she-cat raced after him, and the apprentice could even see his father's brown pelt leaping in the fray.

**Clyde reared backwards, yowling and hissing. Snarling, he ran a ways a way. The older cat disappeared for a few seconds, and then he reappeared. He touched noses with the younger tom before he tripped. "Bye kit!" He called and sprinted away, three warriors after him. "See you again sometime, okay?"**

Pigeonpaw stood still and blinked as another cat slinked up to him.

"So," his sister, Ivypaw, meowed, whiskers twitching in amusement, "that's the reason you're always out getting herbs and combing back with nothing?"

The tome jerked his head towards her, eyes wide. "What? No! I was getting catmint and he followed me! I wasn't doing anything!"

The dark tabby flicked her tail over his head and let out a little laugh.

"Whatever you say, 'kit'."

She continued to laugh as she walked away, the medicine cat apprentice glaring daggers at her.

"Don't call me that!"

* * *

_I shared this story with my cousin. Her writing is in bold while mine is normal. Her character, Clyde, is actually a human, but she made him a cat so she could write something with me pertaining to Warriors. Pigeonpaw is part of a larger story I'm planning to make with a really complex prophecy. It does feel pieced together, but that is what you get when you have two different people writing things with different styles. It's just a random one-shot, but I might put up more stories if she and I do anything else. _

_Hope you enjoy reading it. _


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